A SCOTTISH activist from the Global Sumud Flotilla has described the “absolutely horrific” conditions she allegedly experienced in an Israeli prison.
Margaret Pacetta was one of nearly 500 activists aboard the flotilla, sailing to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, and was detained after the ships were intercepted by Israeli forces last week.
Pacetta returned to Glasgow on Monday following her deportation from Israel, where she was kept in the Ketziot prison, known for well-documented human rights abuses.
She told The National that Israeli soldiers boarded the flotilla ships “with guns” before blindfolding the activists as they were led away.
“They were pushing me, and I said ‘I’ve got a broken leg, I can’t walk well’ and she [an Israeli soldier] went ‘well, I don’t care’,” Pacetta alleged, saying that officers “slammed a metal door” on her limb.
Pacetta also said that she and other female members of the flotilla were strip-searched and that male military officers were allowed to “stare in” the room the activists were being held.
She said that IDF soldiers took activist’s watches before blindfolding them and securing their wrists with cable ties so they “didn’t know what time it was”.
She was also suffering from a chest infection at the time of interception, worsening her asthma. Pacetta said she was shuttled to the prison via bus and claimed she could not breathe properly for the four-hour-long journey.
Upon arrival at Ketziot, the activist alleged that those imprisoned were given little to no food, other than “10 slices of cucumber for 18 people and four [slices of] stale bread”. Pacetta also said the cucumber was infested with ants.
“There should be six people in that cell. There was 18 of us,” Pacetta continued.
“There were 18 of us in there with no mattresses. We were sleeping on the floor, head to tail and there were ants all over us. It was horrible.”
She said that the jail, located in the Negev desert in southern Israel, had radiation issues, leading the activists to be tested for radiation poisoning.
Pacetta also claimed that Israeli forces played “mind games” and subjected those detained to “serious intimidation”, with lasers being shone in the activists’ eyes, masked dogs posted outside of the prison, soldiers lined up with guns and being shuffled between cells to ensure they were not “getting friendly” with one another.
“They never won”, Pacetta said. “Everyone was terrified, but we weren’t going to let them see it, that’s the thing. Never let them see it.”
She then said forces took “every single thing” off of her, including her inhaler, nebuliser, a necklace, her glasses, wristbands and her watch.
Pacetta was flown back to Istanbul via a chartered flight organised by the Turkish government, who provided new clothing and shoes for the detained activists.
She arrived at Manchester Airport on Sunday evening, before returning to Scotland on Monday.
There are three other Scottish activists – Yvonne Ridley, Jim Hickey and Sid Khan – who remain imprisoned at the time of writing.
